Candidates to presidency of Uzbekistan set forth their electoral programs in detail in the course of election campaign. We offer our readers the most important and interesting points of their programs.

Towards national prosperity

Presidential candidate from Milliy Tiklanish Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (DPU) Sarvar Otamuratov has advanced the idea “From national rejuvenation towards national prosperity!” in the quality of the main objective of his pre-election program, while its major task is protection of national interests and values. Having proclaimed that “the nation, which is not aware of its own history has no future”, he comes out for its objective study, avoiding one-sided approach, subjectivity and falsifications in the assessment of the past.

The candidate advocates the adoption and implementation of the State program aimed at careful attitude to architectural monuments, their restoration, and inclusion into the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites of those which earlier had not been included into it. He insists on carrying out active measures to return to Uzbekistan scientific and artistic works, material values related to the history of the Uzbek people and created by our scholars, thinkers, writers and poets and kept at the libraries, archives and museums in foreign countries. 

S.Otamuratov considers that it necessary to elaborate a complex of activities aimed at the enrichment and further improvement of the Uzbek language; consolidation of its status as a state language, further raising the language culture; prevent violations of its norms and rules in the mass media, as well as in the content of information reports, outdoor advertizing and announcements, and significantly increase the circulation of books, newspapers and magazines in the Uzbek language on the basis of the Latin alphabet.

Proceeding from national values and mentality of the people, he proposes to actively develop the system of pre-trial resolution of family, inheritance, housing and other daily disputes, including through seeking compromise and reconciliation between the parties for the peaceful resolution of all conflicts.

In the field of economics the candidate stands for adoption of targeted measures on the promotion of goods with the “Made in Uzbekistan” brand to world markets through efficient support of domestic manufacturers, including through reduction of tax burden, application of customs benefits and preferences and such other forms of government support. Stemming from the complicated geographical location of Uzbekistan – without access to seas and weakly developed logistical infrastructure – he calls for elaboration of a program designed to provide tax benefits and preferences to transport and logistical companies, which would serve to raise the export potential of our country, as well as for satisfying the needs of our youth in the modern and high quality domestically produced clothing.

The candidate comes out for the development of the tourist industry in Uzbekistan, which has not yet been activated to its full measure, and turn the country into one of the centers of world tourism.

Sarvar Otamuratov stands for adoption of concrete moves for prevention of early marriages and early childbirth, as well as for shaping a sense of intolerance in regard to these phenomena. He proposes to ban the sale of unhealthy energy drinks to teenagers and supports the transport discount fares for students of professional colleges and academic lyceums. 

A priority objective of the candidate is development of all types of sports. In particular, he comes out for inclusion of the national wrestling – kurash – into the program of Olympic Games.

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Peace, stability, propserous life

Presidential candidate from the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (UzLiDeP) Shavkat Mirziyoyev has identified continuation and enhancement of the economic reforms, securing peace and tranquility, consolidation of economic might and creation of decent living conditions for the people the main objectives of his pre-election program.

He comes out for an efficient functioning of the government administration and its apparatus and is a champion of transfer of powers from the center of local bodies of government, hence he intends to improve the tasks and functions of hokimiyats at all levels. He is also an advocate of elimination of bureaucracy and irresponsibility of government functionaries in considering the citizens’ appeals.

In the judicial and legislative sphere Sh.Mirziyoyev is determined to continue the policy of liberalization of criminal penalties, transference of certain crimes into the category of those, which do not pose major threat to the public, and further expansion of opportunities for application of features of the institute of reconciliation.

He considers the struggle against corruption and organized crime to be a priority task, as well as efficient solution of offense prevention issues.

The candidate thinks that the central task in the economy is to more than double the GDP volume by the year 2030, bring up the share of industry in the economy up to 40%. With this aim in view he plans to realize eight special programs. 657 investment projects worth about $40 billion will have to be implemented within the next five years, which will enable to increase 1.5 times over the volume of industrial output.

Yet another priority task outlined by the candidate is further reforming the rural economy. A program designed for the years 2017-2020 will be adopted for the development of multi-purpose farms within the framework of which it is planned to carry out the optimization of crop areas and stage-by-stage reduction of lands under cotton plants.

It is vital to realize a complex of measures on shrinking the level of government’s presence in the economy, development and protection of private property, according to the candidate. It is key to eliminate all obstacles and limitations, which prevent the development of private ownership and entrepreneurship, provide greater freedoms to small businesses and private entrepreneurship, and prevent illegal interference into their activities.  

Top priority tasks include turning the capital of our country – Tashkent – into one of the most beautiful and comfortable megalopolises not only in our region, but also in the global scale. With this objective in view, construction and landscaping work will be continued for its development with the use of the most advanced achievements of national architecture and modern city planning.

15 thousand comfortable and inexpensive new model modern houses with a twofold decrease in the amount of initial installment fee will be built in rural areas for low income families within the social sphere program in 2017. In large cities and towns will be erected multi-storied apartments with affordable rental fees for the families with low income.

Sh.Mirziyoyev is determined to build up the defense capabilities of the country and the potential of its Armed Forces, which will serve as a guarantee for ensuring the Republic’s security, stability of the country and the well-being of the people in conditions of evolving complicated international situation with the growing threat of terrorism, extremism and radicalism.

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Support of the state and the society

The major objective of the pre-election program of the presidential candidate from the National Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (NDPU) Khotamjon Ketmonov is protection of the interests of those strata of population, who need support from the side of the state and the society.

For this the candidate proposes to elaborate and implement renewed mechanisms for defining standards of minimal consumer basket and optimize the cost of utility services by way of government adjustment of their tariffs. 

He comes out for the introduction of new methods for securing the employment of the population, ensuring interrelation between key criteria of socio-economic programs with the indicated number of created permanent work places in the course of their implementation. According to him, new approaches to elaboration of the state programs on the creation of new jobs will prevent the outflow of labor force outside the boundaries of the country. He also proposes to expand the practice of allocation of preferential micro loans for self-employment of professional college graduates, create conditions for stimulation of their individual businesses and entrepreneurial activities, exempt them from the charges set up in opening one’s own business, as well as exempt from all taxes for a specified period.

There is a need in a tax policy, which would motivate the integration of small production enterprises operating in our country, introduction of a ‘medium-size enterprise’ concept, i.e. specification of criteria of a ‘large’, ‘medium’ and ‘small’ size enterprises, according to the candidate.

Kh.Ketmonov comes out for the realization of a strong social policy covering the efficient system of pension provision and social benefits, which would guarantee full satisfaction of vital needs of pensioners, disabled people and children left without parental care.

The candidate advocates prevention of dependency spirit among those layers of the population who are in need of social assistance, supports their labor and entrepreneurial activity and motivation of initiative. He proposes to replace monthly payments of material help and social allowances to families with low income with one off payments on condition of their targeted use for setting up their own businesses.  

To create favorable conditions to persons with limited physical opportunities Kh.Ketmonov deems it necessary to ensure the construction of special access ways – ramps - at all buildings and structures, as well as pedestrian walkways adapted for them.

In the educational sphere he comes out for expansion of the government supported pre-school educational establishments operating for free or on the basis of preferential charges.

He also proposes to stimulate the problem of targeted enrollment into the higher educational institutions on specified professions, stemming on the needs of enterprises and establishments and expand the possibility to study at Universities for students with limited physical opportunities. 

The candidate advocates the establishment of legislative foundations for the organization of home labor as a family preschool education caregiver for women with pedagogical education, who are not working temporarily due to caring for a child.

He proposes to strengthen control over the activities of pharmaceutical enterprises and drug stores, as well as over the prices of health products, to limit their advertising and ensure that the public hospitals make a list of essential drugs and their preferential provision to certain categories of people.

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Power is in justice!

Presidential candidate from the “Adolat” Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (SDPU) Narimon Umarov identified among the priorities of his program the creation of a constitutional democratic state and just civil society with socially-oriented market economy. 

With the aim to improve the efficiency of local government bodies he comes out for empowerment of hokims with broader authority in hiring and dismissal of heads of regional subdivisions of ministries and departments, and strengthening their impact on personnel policies on the ground.

The candidate stands for adjustment of major socio-economic relations only through legislative channels, as well as for reduction of the number of bylaws and regulations.

He is also a supporter of managing market relations, bringing order to the market, introduction of the principle “Competition – as much as possible, public administration - as appropriate.” He also proposes to adopt a comprehensive program of measures to accelerate the development and widely introduce modern innovations and high technology in our country.

The candidate considers that there are unused opportunities for the active attraction of resources of the population, small businesses and entrepreneurial structures into the financial market. Their solution will enable to involve additional investments and financial resources into the development of the economy.

In order to accelerate the development of remote regions and small towns, to avoid dramatic economic and social gaps between the regions and the capital city N.Umarov suggests to move the head offices of large companies to small towns and carry out extensive reconstruction of their social and manufacturing infrastructure at the expense of the national budget.

The ecologic problems hold a large share of his program. Thus, he comes out in favor of promoting competition in the energy resources market by making full and effective use of alternative energy sources, expansion of solar cell production and other innovative technologies to generate renewable sources of energy, for efficient stimulation of transition to “green economy” and high technology, further development of production of environmentally clean and friendly output.

An important task is ensuring clean environment through processing industrial wastes, according to the candidate. Efforts in the solution of environmental problems need to be concentrated, in the first place, on their economic aspects. Solution of all problems related to ecology and protection of the citizens’ health should not be shifted to the budget. N.Umarov stands for the principle “Polluter pays and pays much”.

He proposes to strictly prevent illegal trafficking of medicines, sale of counterfeit and substandard drugs, to continuously improve the activities of screening and perinatal centers, women's health consultancy establishments, maternity hospitals and house nursing services.

In the field of education the candidate comes out for simplification of nostrification of diplomas received by our citizens at foreign higher educational institutions, for moving the higher educational institutions from the capital city to regions, and for accelerated development of modern ‘distance learning’ methods.

(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)